If you're wondering who or what the IM5 is, so were we.

IM stands for Intelligence in Motion and it is the upmarket division of MG (like Lexus is to Toyota).

In Australia, the brand is known officially as IM Presented by MG Motor, but most punters refer to the car as the MG IM5.

There are three grades from which to choose: Premium ($60,990), Platinum ($69,990) and Performance ($80,990) - all plus on-road costs.

STYLING

IM5 is 4931mm in length, 1960mm wide and 1474mm high with a 2950mm wheelbase, and weighs in at 2300kg in top spec.

There's 457 litres of luggage space in the boot with another 18 litres under the front bonnet where you'll find the tyre repair kit secreted.

Rear storage expands to 1290 litres with the second-row seats folded.

A 12V outlet for a fridge is provided in the back.

At a glance, the three grades appear to be almost identical - other than the drivetrains.

Premium is powered by a single electric motor that delivers 217kW of power and 450Nm of torque to the rear wheels, with a 75kWh battery and range of 490km.

Mid-range Platinum is also rear-wheel drive, but with a more powerful 300kW/500Nm electric motor, and a larger 100kWh battery and range of 655km.

Range-topping Performance adds all-wheel drive to the equation, with two electric motors that offer 200kW/320Nm at front and 372kW/500Nm at the rear, with a 100kWh battery and range of 575km.

Of note, Premium is built on 400-watt architecture, while Platinum and Performance share the more advanced 800-watt format, according to the newer, more realistic Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicles Test Procedure.

On test was the Performance model, apparent from the 20-inch wheels and P-Zeros - plus the fact it blazes out of the gates like a Space X rocket.

Creature comforts include synthetic leather; two-zone climate air with rear vents; an air quality system; heated seats front and back, plus cooling for the front; heated steering wheel; heated/cooled console box; a full-length glass roof; and a power-operated tailgate.

There's also air suspension, LED lights front and back, and push-button hands-free parking.

IM5 is covered by a seven-year unlimited kilometre warranty, plus eight years on the battery, with service due every 20,000km or 12 months.

SAFETY

IM5 scores a full five stars for safety, with dual frontal, side chest-protecting and side head-protecting airbags standard.

A centre airbag which provides added protection to front seat occupants in side impact crashes is also standard.

Autonomous emergency braking as well as a lane support system with lane keep assist (LKA), lane departure warning (LDW) and emergency lane keeping (ELK), and a speed sign recognition system, are standard equipment.

ENGINES / TRANSMISSIONS

Performance model boasts two electric motors, with a total 572kW of power and 820Nm of torque on tap, with drive to all four wheels via a reduction-style single-speed transmission.

DRIVING

The IM5 is quick, that's for sure.

But it's not the most practical car we've ever driven.

With pop-out door handles and a key fob with a complete lack of labels, the first task is to work out how to get in and out of the thing.

Sitting low to the ground, with an equally low roofline, that can require some athleticism.

There's also no starter button; the system is live from get-go, moving the column-mounted gear selector up or down to select drive or reverse.

And a word of caution here: mistaking the gear selector for the indicator stalk can send the car shooting forward, scaring the pants off you - because this engages cruise control.

IM5 is equipped with what the company describes as revolutionary bi-directional rear-wheel turning technology, offering up to 12 degrees of rear-wheel articulation.

This technology hass been around off and on for almost 40 years.

And it helps, but let's not get carried away.

If the effect was that dramatic it would be standard on just about every car.

The 10.5-inch touchscreen in the centre console is better described as the control screen, because just about everything is operated from here.

We were unable to find a control for something as simple as re-setting the trip computer.

Then there's the satnav.

To get it working you have to pull over, put it in park, tick another box, scan a QR code, then read and sign off on a privacy statement - we just couldn't work out how.

We also often had to manually reconnect our phone because the system simply ignored it.

Rear and over-the-shoulder vision is a challenge, particularly through the tiny rear window, which is better described as a porthole.

The dash from 0-100km/h can be dispatched in a Ferrari-quick 3.2 seconds, with a top speed of 268km/h.

Energy consumption is a claimed 19.7 kWh/100km (we were getting 20.5 kWh after more than 350km of mixed driving).

While ride quality is impressive thanks to adaptive air suspension, a continuous damping system and noise cancelling technology, the car drives better on the super smooth pavement offered by the motorway.

On the rise and fall of country roads, however, it feels disconnected and unpredictable at times.

Braking is a bit of a lottery, not so much in effect but more in application - sometimes they bite hard, sometimes they don't.

Sure, the IM5 goes fast in a straight line.

But at the end of the day is that enough?

SUMMING UP

The IM5 is a lot of cars, it's just not the car for us.

We'd also consider the Platinum variant, which is also pretty quick and has the advantage of greater range at 655km.

Iron out the niggles, make the info system more intuitive, get rid of the constant driver warnings and MG could be on to a good thing.

By the way, we're still waiting to hear why the doors on the Cyberster won't open when the car is parked on a slope?

RATINGS:

Looks: 7.5

Performance: 8

Safety: 8

Thirst: 7

Practicality: 5

Comfort: 7

Tech: 7.5

Value: 8

Overall: 7.3

AT A GLANCE

MODEL LINE-UP

IM5 Premium RWD: $60,990

IM5 Platinum RWD: $69,990

IM5 Performance AWD, $80,990

Note: These prices do not include government or dealer delivery charges.

Contact your local IM Presented by MG Motor dealer for drive-away prices.

SPECIFICATIONS

IM Presented by MG Motor IM5 Performance 100kWh AWD, five-door liftback

STANDARD WARRANTY

Seven-year unlimited kilometre warranty, plus eight years on the battery